Amusement machine



March 5, 1935. J. F. MEYER 1 ,993,562

AMUSEMENT MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1' A 1 l 2416 gMarch 5, 1935, J. F. MEYER 1,993,562

AMUSEMENT MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1 50 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 75 Q%4CINUETZZOT'I Ma uch 5, 1935.

J. F. MEYER AMUSEMENT MACHINE Filed Sept. 29

, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 Sheets-Shet 4 Filed s t. 29, 1930 w ,7 m u +HFl illllI tili y /H, m M u J w & ,0 7 0 0 9 W 7 7 M 3%. g u "Ta 0 u I"?--b|11|l|| I V WL w u dz E a O Y n 0 6 6 7. O 0% a Z J. F. MEYERAMUSEMENT MACHINE-E March 5, 1935.

Filed Sept. 29, 19 30 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 5, 1935 UNITEDSTATES AMUSEMENT MACHINE John F. Meyer; Pasadena, Calif. ApplicationSeptember 29, 1920, Serial No. 485,045

2 Claims. (o1. 265*) This invention relates to amusement machines andmore particularly. to an amusement machine which, may be used as astrength testing device and which maybe arranged for coin control.

, The salient objects of my invention are to provide a novel amusementmachine embodying a member which may be moved intoan operative positionwherein a blow may be struck thereon; in which the memberstruck by ablow may be forced into engagement with a portion of. the de vice in amanner such that the. force of the engagement may be registered on asuitable indicating dial or the like; in which a coin control deviceholds the member against movement into operative position until a coinis inserted into the machine; in which the member to be struck by a blowis returnedto inoperative position in a gradual manner so as toeliminate unnecessary shock or strains in the machine; in which a signalis provided which is rendered operativeunder certain conditions ofoperation of the machine; and in which the indicating member cooperatingwiththe dial isreturned to an initial position priorto each operation ofthe device.

In the selected embodiment of the invention, as shown in theaccompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a topplan view of a machine constructed in accordance with myinvention;

. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line2-2 of Fig. 4; 1

Fig. 3 isa diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical connectionsemployed in the device;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4on Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line5-5 on Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, drawn to an enlarged scale. illustrating aportion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6a is a detail view of a link connection used with the indiciadevice;

Fig. '1 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 7-7 on Fig.4;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 88 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the dial;

. Fig. 10 is a view taken substantially on the line 10-10 on Fig. 1; andI Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 11-11 onFig. 4.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodimentof mynovel amusement ma-- chine, 12 generally indicates the main housingwhichincludes-a front wall 13 and which has a vertically extendingpartition 14 therein spaced from the front wall 13 providing acompartment 15. In the compartment 15 there is a horizontally extendingshelf 16 on which aportion of the operating mechanisms of my improvedmachine are supported. Disposed below the top wall 1'7 of the housing 12is a horizontally extending partition 18 which extends from the upperend of the partition 14 to the rear wall 19 of the hous ing 12. Mountedon the partition 18 at the end thereof adjacent the partition 14 is abracket 20, and one end of an arm 21 is pivotallyconnected thereto, asindicated at 22-. At the lower end of the arm 23 is a right angularlyextending por tion 24 which is pi'votally connected to the. free end ofthe arm 21 by the pin 25, and depending from the portion 24 is a tongue26 to which one end of a spring 27 is secured, the other end of saidspring 27 being suitably fixed at the lower end of the compartment15.The corner provided by the abutting of the partitions 14 and 18 ischamfered, as indicated at 28, and an angle plate 29 is secured thereonwhich carries a resilent bumper 30 which may be a rubber block or thelike.- The spring 27 acts on the tongue 26 and the arms 21 and 23 tourge the same down wardly, and this action is limited by the engage--ment of the arm 21 with the bumper 30. Se cured to, but disposed in aplane below, the top wall 1'7 is a plate 31 having an opening 32 thereinthrough which the arm 23 projects. Projecting above the top wall 17 andsurrounding the opening 32 in spaced relation therewith is a collar 33.Suitably secured to the upper end of thearm 23 is an inflated bag 34,and when the spring 27 acts on the arms 21 and 23 to hold the arm 21 inengagement with the bumper 30 this bag rests on the'collar 33, asclearly shown in Fig. 4. 1

Preferably, the operation of my improved amusement machine is coincontrolled, and I have therefore provided an arrangement whereby thismay be expeditiously accomplished. To this end I provide a coin trough35 (Fig. 2) having a slide 36 arranged therein, and the trough 35 andthe slide 36 have openings therein which when aligned permit a coin topass therethrough. The slide 36 will first be arranged in the outerposition shown in Fig. 2, and a coin will be arranged in the opening 37therein, and when the slide 36 moves inwardly the coin in the opening 37is moved into alignment with the opening 38in the trough 35 and the coinpasses through this opening into the coin funnel 39 from whence it isdirected into the coin guide passage 40. From the coin guide passage 40thecoin is directed into the coin trough 41 and after passing throughthe trough 41 the coin will travel through the opening 42 in thepartition 16 and be collected in the removable coin box 43 (Fig. 4)arranged at the lower end of the compartment 15. The trough 41 issupported by a bracket 44 and pivotally mounted on this bracket 44 is arocker 45 which has one end thereof projected through an opening 46 inthe rear wall of the coin trough 41 so that a coin, such as 47, passingthrough the trough 41 will strike against the rocker 45 and pivot thesame from the position shown in Fig. 4 into the position shown in Fig.6.

A bracket 48 is carried by the partition 16 and mounted thereon is anarm 49 having a shoulder 50 thereon, which shoulder 50 is urged intoposition above the pin 25 by the spring 49' when the bag 34 is restingon the collar 33. Mounted on the arm 49 is a plate 51 having a shoulder52 thereon and a cam surface 53. When no coin is passing through thedevice the rocker 45 is disposed in engagement with the shoulder 52 andtherefore should the bag 34 be gripped and moved against the action of.the spring 27 the pin 25 will abut the shoulder 50 and will tend topivot the arm .49, but this movement will be limited by the engagementof the shoulder 52 with the rocker 45. However, when the rocker 45 ispivoted into the position shown in Fig. 6 it is aligned with the camsurface 53. Therefore, should the pin 25 strike the shoulder 50 the arm49 will be pivoted and the end of the rocker 45 will be pivoted upwardlyby the cam surface 53, and therefore the bag 34 may be lifted. The bag34 is lifted sufficiently to raise the pin 25 upwardly until the samemay be seated on the upper end 54 of the arm 49, and when the pin 25 isin this position, which is illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, thebag 34 is held in the dotted-line position of Fig. 6. When the bag 34 isin this position it is intended that the same shall be struck a blow bythe users fist, and this blow is intended to be struck on the bag 34 tomove the same in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 4. Thepin 25 will be resting on the upper surface 54 of the arm 49, andtherefore the arm 23 will pivot about this pin as it rests on thissurface. Thus, the pin 55 on the tongue 26 will be moved into engagementwith the angle iron 56, and the action of this pin 55 will be such thatthe arm 49 will be pivoted and be withdrawn from below the in 25 andtherefore the spring 2'7 may act to return the arm 23 and as sociatedparts to the full-line position of Fig. 6, and the rocker 45 will againengage the shoulder 52 and will prevent raising of the bag 34 untilanother coin has been inserted into the device. The coin 4'7 will reston the rocker 45 until said rocker is moved by engagement thereof withthe cam surface 53 which will pivot said rocker out of the coin trough41 and therefore the coin 47 will travel therethrough into the coin box43.

It is manifest that the spring 27 will tend to forcibly return the bag34 into engagement with the collar 33, and if this action were broughtabout uninterruptedly a severe shock might be impressed on the device,and to eliminate the likelihood of such a shock and to prevent unduestrains I provide the following arrangement: Secured to the arm 23 toextend above the portion 24 is a plate 5'7 and connected to the plate 57is a rod 58 which carries a piston that is disposed in the tube 59. Thetube 59 has an opening at its upper end to permit free vertical movementof the piston therethrough, but at the lower end of the tube arestricted orifice is provided. Therefore, when the bag 34 is elevatedthe piston may freely move through the tube 59, but when the parts arereleased, as above described, and the piston starts to move downwardlythrough the tube, air escapement from the tube will be retarded byreason of the orifice, and therefore movement of the piston through thetube will be retarded. This arrangement provides a dashpot, andtherefore shocks are eliminated. It is manifest that the shock attendantto the return of the arm 23 is also somewhat absorbed by the bumper 30when the arm 21 engages therewith.

As best shown in Fig. 1, a slot 60 is provided in the collar 33 in theportion thereof disposed inwardly on the machine. A plate 61 is hingedlymounted, as indicated at 62, and forms a portion of the upper wall 17.When the bag 34 is struck in the manner previously described, the

'arm 23 passes into the slot 60 and said bag strikes the plate 61. A rib63 depends from the plate 61 and rests on one end of a lever 64pivotally mounted at 65 on a bracket 66 carried by the partition 18. Aresilient bumper 67 in the form of a rubber block or the like is also.mounted on the partition 18 and is covered by a plate 68, and the lever64 is arranged between the plate 68 and aplate 69 on the lower end ofthe rib 63. Therefore, when the bag 34 strikes the plate 61 the rib 63will be forced downwardly and the lever 64 will be pivoted, this pivotalaction being retarded and the movement is somewhat absorbed by theresilient bumper 67. It is manifest that when the end of the lever 64,confined by the plates 68 and 69, moves downwardly the opposite endthereof will move upwardly and to this opposite end a rod '70 isconnected. 7

As best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, a link '71 has one end thereofconnected to the arm 21 and the other end thereof is connected to a dog'72 pivotally mounted on the bracket '72 (Fig. 6a). On the dog 72 thereis a pin '73 having a rod 74 connected thereto. A housing '75 isprovided which has a vertically extending partition '76 therein, inwhich partition a shaft 77 (Fig. 10) is journaled. Freely mounted on theshaft '77 is a dog '78 carrying a pin '79, and the dog '78 normallyrests on the upper end of the rod '70 which is guided by the bracket 80carried bythe upper wall 1'7 of the housing 75, said rod '70 and the rod'74 extending through an opening 81 in said wall 17 into the housing'75. Fixed on the shaft 7'7 is a ratchet wheel 82 engaged by a pawl 83pivotally mounted as indicated at 84, and the upper end of the rod '74is connected to the pawl 83 at 85. When the bag 34 is raised into thedotted-line position of Fig. 6, the arm 21 is pivoted into thedotted-line position of Fig. 6, and the link 71 is consequently movedand movement imparted to the link '71 is transmitted to the dog '72which is so moved that the pin 73 moves downwardly, and this movement istransmitted to the rod '74 to pivot the pawl 83 to retract the same fromengagement with the ratchet 82, said pawl being pivoted against theaction of the spring 86 that is connected to said pawl and to a springanchor 87 on the wall '76. Extended through the shaft '77 is a pin 88which normally rests on the pin '79. When the rod '70 is moved upwardlyin the'manner described, the dog '78 is moved in a counter-clockwisedirection, as viewed in Fig. 10. It is manifest that the rod '10 willnot be moved until after the bag 34 has been elevated and struck, and atthis time the ratchet wheel 82 will be free to turn by reason of thefact that the pawl 83 will have been retracted fromengag'eme'nttherewith atithe time'the bag 34 was elevated. Therefore, when the rod'70 moves upwardly and moves the dog '78, the pin '79 will be moved andtherefore the pin 88will turn the shaft '77 and consequently the ratchetwheel 82. However, following the time the bag 34 strikes the vplate61the spring 2'7 will act to return said bag and the arm 23 and the arm 21to; the full-line positions shown in Fig. 6, and therefore the link 71will be moved to move the'dog '73 and thus the spring 86v will be free.to reengage the pawl 83 with the ratchet 82. Therefore, since the lever64 and consequently the rod '70 will be moved in an amount proportionateto the force of the blow struck on the plate 61 by the bag 34, and asthe shaft '77 will be rotated in an amount proportionate to the amountof movement of the lever64, it is manifest that the force of the blowstruck by the bag34 may beindicatedbyamember connected to the shaft '77and-since the'pawl 83 will reengage the ratchet 82, it is also apparentthat such an indicating member may be retained in-the position intowhich it ismoved. Such an indicating member is indicated by 89 and isintended to bemovable over the calibrated dial 90 carried by the wall'76.

1 It is desirable if a blow of predetermined force be struck by the bag34 on the plate 61 that a signal device be rendered operative, and inthe present arrangement I have provided an audible signal in the form ofa bell 91 which is mounted on the wall '76 of the housing '75. Carriedby the bracket 92 (Fig. 4) is a plate of insulating material 93. Atspaced intervals on this plate of insulating material 93 at the pointsat which it is desired that the signal device 91 be rendered operativeare electrical contacts in the form of screws 94. Fixed on the shaft '77is a contact arm 95, and when the shaft 77 is rotated so as to move theindicating member 89 into one of the predetermined positions the contactarm 95 will be engaged with one of the contacts 94. As best shown inFig. 10, a contact screw 96 is carried by the pawl 83 which engages astationary contact 97 when the pawl 83 is engaging the ratchet 82. It istherefore apparent that as the arm 95 rotates with the shaft '77 andpasses over contacts 94 the audible signal will not be renderedoperative for the screw 96 does not engage the contact 97 until the pawl83 is looking the ratchet 82 against further movement. Furthermore, theaudible signal will only be rendered operative during the time the arm23 is returning to the full-line position of Fig. 6, and this iscontrolled by the following arrangement. Mounted at the end of the plate5'7 is a pivotally mounted dog 98 having a section of insulatingmaterial 99 thereon. Carried by the partition 14 is a contact strip 100.When the arm 23 moves upwardly the section of insulating material 99 onthe dog 98 rides thereover against the action of the leaf spring 1u1.However, when the arm 23 moves downwardly, the dog 98 is pivoted in theopposite direction and the conductive portions thereof engage the strip100 and close the circuit in the following manner: A suitable source ofcurrent, such as the battery 102, is provided and one terminal of thissource 102 is connected by a conductor 103 to the plate 57. A conductor104 is connected to the contact strip 100 and tothe various contacts 94.A conductor 105 interconnects the contact arm 95 and the contact 9'7. Aconductor 106 interconnects the contact screw 96 and one terminal of thebell 91, and a conductor 10'? interconnects the other terminal of thebell 91 and the other terminal-ofthe source 1'02. Therefore, when theCOD? tact arm 95 stops on one of the contacts 94,the bell 91 will berendered operative after thescrew 96 engages the contact 97 and duringthe time the. conductive. portions of the member ,98 are movingover thecontact strip 100, and this may be used to indicate any desiredsituation such as thewinning of-a prize.

' Aacountingdevice 108,is provided in the com-v partment 15 whichincludes an operating arm 109 that is pivotally connected to the arm 110which, in turn, is connected to theplate 5'7, and thus each time the bag34 is raised and lowered the counting device 108 will be operated. Inor.- der to insure return of the plate 57 and the various mechanismsconnected thereto, I provide springs 111 which extend between amembercone nected to the plate 57 and spring anchors on the wall 16.

In use, a co is'inserted into the device and the rocker-45 ispivotedfrom retaining position. The bag 34 is raised into the dotted-lineposition of Fig. 6 to which it is locked by thes'eating of thepin 25 onthe upper surface54 of the arm 49. When a blow'is struck on the bag 34,the same is forced into engagement with the plate 61 and the lever 64'ismoved which motivates the rod 70. At the time the blow is struck the,arm 23 pivots on the pin 25, and the pin 55 engages the angle strip 56and the arm 49 is pivoted from below the pin 25 which permits the spring57 to return the arm 23 against the action of the dashpot provided inthe tube 59. At the time the bag 34 is elevated, the pawl 83 isretracted from engagement with the ratchet 82 and the spring 112connected to the shaft '77 returns the various mechanisms on the shaft'77 to initial position.

However, as soon as the rod '77 moves upwardly, the shaft '77 will berotated and the indicating member 89 will move over the calibrated dial90 to indicate the force of the blow, and by reason of the fact that thearm 21 returns to normal position, shown in Fig. 4, the pawl 83 mayagain engage the ratchet 82 and therefore the indicating member 89 willbe locked in indicating position. Should the shaft 7'7 be rotated in anamount such that the contact arm 95 stops on one of the contacts 94, theaudible signal will be rendered operative during the time the arm 23 ismoving downwardly.

It is manifest from the foregoing description that I have provided anamusement machine which may be used to indicate the force of a blowstruck on a member of the machine, and it is apparent that the device isso arranged that the member may be moved into strikable position onlyafter the insertion of a coin into the machine. Furthermore, the partsare returned to inoperative position after the striking of a blow on themember. Moreover, the device is arranged so that it may be used in thedistribution of prizes by reason of the signal device provided in themachine which may be rendered operative under certain conditions ofoperation.

While I have illustrated and described a selected embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation andmodification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes andalterations as fall within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. In an amusement machine which has an indicating device including anindicating member,

and means for moving the indicating member into indicating positions,the combination of a hingedly mounted platform, a striking bag adaptedto be driven into engagement with said platform to move the same aboutthe hinge mounting therefor, a member supporting said striking bag, anarm pivotally connected to said member, a pivotal support for said arm,resilient means acting on said member to urge said bag into inoperativeposition, means cooperating with said member to hold said bag inoperative position against the action of said resilient means, aresilient bumper, a pivotally mounted lever having a part thereof restedon said bumper and engaged with said platform, and means connecting saidlever to the means for moving the indicating member into indicatingpositions whereby said indicating member is actuated when a blow isstruck on said bag when it is in operative position to drive said baginto engagement with said platform, the engagement of said bag with saidplatform moving-said lever against the action of said resilient bumper.

2. In an amusement machine which has an indicating means including anindicating member, means for moving said indicating member intoindicating positions, means retaining the indicating member in thepositions into which it is moved, and means for retracting saidretaining means, the combination of a hingedly mounted platform, astriking bag adapted to be driven into engagement with said platform tomove the same about the hinge mounting therefor, a member supportingsaid striking bag, an arm pivotally connectedto said member, a pivotalsupport for said arm, resilient means acting on said member to urge saidbag into inoperative position, means cooperating with said member tohold said bag in operative position against the action of said resilientmeans, a link connected to said arm and to the retracting means andadapted to retract said retracting means upon movement of said arm whensaid bag is moved into operative position and adapted to actuate saidretracting means to permit said retaining means to move into operativeposition upon movement of said bag into inoperative position, aresilient bumper, a pivotally mounted lever having a part thereof restedon said bumper and engaged with said platform, and means connecting saidlever to the means for moving the indicating member into indicatingpositions whereby said indicating member is actuated when a blow isstruck on said bag when it is in operative position to drive said baginto engagement with said platform, the engagement of said bag with saidplatform moving said lever against the action of said resilient bumper.

JOHN F. MEYER.

